Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

We normally prepare the lucknowi style biryani at home.But always wanted to try out the hyderabi style.In this the chicken is cooked along with the rice.Hence it is also sometimes called as Kachhi biryani.This recipe is quite simple only with some preparation for the marinade.Rest you don't need to do anything,just the dum cooking does it all..:)

Ingredients -
chicken
ginger garlic paste
curd
garam masala
coriander/dhaniya powder
cumin/jeera powder
turmeric/haldi powder
red chilly/mirchi powder
salt
coriander leaves/dhaniya patta
mint leaves/pudina
oil
onion
basmati rice

Method -
Wash the chicken.
Marinate the chicken with the following for around 3-4 hours-hung curd,ginger garlic paste,garam masala powder,haldi,mirchi,dhaniya,jeera powder,dhaniya patta and pudina.
Cook the basmati rice half done with some whole garam masala(elaichi,dalchini,laung).
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Fry some chopped onion till brown.
Once done remove the onion and keep them aside.
Now layer the half done rice,fried onions,then the marinated chicken,again the rice and so on.
You can add whole slited green chillies in between.
On the top layer add a lemon wedge.This gives a nice tangy taste.
Cover the pan and cook it on sim for around 45min.
Cut through the layers and serve hot biryani with raita :)

Soya nuggets Biryani

Needless to say that soya chunks or soya nuggets is very healthy since soyabean is a significant source of protein.I did not know about this recipe until I saw it the other day on some television channel.The best part of this one-pot dish is that you don't need to prepare many other things (except maybe raita) and still its very nutritious ! Doesn't that make a wholesome lunch-box ? :) Try and find out for yourself..

Ingredients -

basmati rice (1 cup)

onion (1 big)

ginger

garlic (6-7cloves)

green chillies (3-4)

tomato (1 medium)

garam masala(cardamom,peppercorns,cinnamon,cloves)

red chilly powder

turmeric powder

coriander powder

cumin powder

salt

curd/lemon juice

Nutrela soya nuggets(1/2 cup)

bay leaf(1)

cardamom(3)

peppercorns(2)

cloves(1)

oil

Method -

Wash the soya nuggets and get it to a boil.

After about 5-7min drain the water and squeeze out excess water from the

nuggets.

Marinate the nuggets for about half an hour with the following -curd/lemon juice,salt,red chilly powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,cumin powder,garam masala powder.

Wash and cook basmati rice with salt,oil(1 tspn),bay leaf,cardamoms,peppercorns and clove.

Drain the water when it is almost done.(Not fully done)

Slice the onions thinly.

Make a paste of ginger,garlic and green chillies.

Prepare the garam masala powder by grinding cardamoms,cloves,cinnamon and

peppercorns.

Chop the tomatoes finely.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan.

Put in the onions and let it saute till brownish.

Add the ginger-garlic-chilly paste.

After about a min add the chopped tomatoes and salt as per taste.

Sprinkle in the chilly,turmeric,coriander,cumin and garam masala powders.

Add the marinated soya nuggets and let it cook.

Add some water and cook it till semi-dry.

Once the nuggets are cooked keep it aside.This soya nuggets preparation will also go well with roti.

In the same pan add a layer of cooked rice,then a layer of the nuggets,similarly go on adding the layers of rice and nuggets.

Cover the pan and let it cook for about 2-3min.

Delicious soya nuggets biryani is ready :-)

Vegetable Pulao

This is one easy one-pot dish which you can rely on specially if you are running out of time.
We generally have this pulao on some lazy day when I am not in a mood of preparing  a full-fledged meal and this does not require much preparation or time and it is filling too :-)


Ingredients -
1 cup basmati rice
cauliflower
carrots
beans
green peas
onion (1 medium)
ginger-garlic paste
spices - cardamoms,bay leaf,cinnamon,pepper corns,cloves
green chillies (4-5)
turmeric powder(optional)
cashew nuts,raisins(kismis)
salt
oil


Method -
Chop all the veggies to small pieces.
Chop the onion and green chillies finely.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan/kadhai.
Add the whole spices - 1 bay leaf,3-4 cardamoms,2-3 cloves,1/2 tspn pepper corns,1 medium stick cinnamon.
After a minute add onion,ginger-garlic paste and green chillies.
Saute for 2-3 min.
Now add all the chopped veggies.You can add the veggies as per your choice.I had cauliflower and beans lying in my pantry which I wanted to finish off.Hence I added only those.But the more the veggies the tastier it is :-)
Add salt and close the lid and let the veggies cook for a while(2-3 min).
Now add the rice to this and add 2.5 cups of water.Actually we need 2 cups of water as I used 1 cup of rice,but since there are vegetables I added another 1/2 cup.
Add salt.Turmeric powder can be added but it is optional.
You may check it intermediately and once it is done a nice aroma will fill your kitchen.
Vegetable pulao is ready to serve with or without raita :-)Garnish the 
pulao with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Chicken Dum Biryani (Hyderabadi)

Chicken biryani - The name biryani is derived from the Persian word 'berya' which means fried or roasted.The name 'dum' has come from the word 'cooking in steam'-that is how the name Hyderabadi Dum Biryani.
The hyderabadi style differs from the Lucknowi style mainly in the way it is cooked.Here the rice and the chicken is cooked simultaneously and fried onions are added.Whereas in lucknowi style the rice is cooked separately from the chicken.They are then brought together and layered, resulting in a dish of the contrasting flavors of flavored rice (which is cooked separately with spices) and chicken.So go ahead and have this delicious Chicken Dum Biryani with Raita(optional) for your sunday lunch :-)

Ingredients -
For chicken -
500 gm chicken
salt
turmeric(haldi powder)
green chillies slit
ginger garlic paste
curd
ghee
onions(1 big and 1 medium sized)
tomato(1 big)
coriander(dhania) powder
cumin (jeera) powder
biryani masala - cinnamon,cardamom, pepper corn,cloves
1/2 cup cilantro(fresh coriander leaves)


For rice -
1.5 cup basmati rice
3-4 green cardamoms(elaichi)
cinnamon(dalchini)-2 small sticks
1 bay leaf (tej patta)
4-5 pepper corns (kali mirch)
3 cloves
salt
oil
saffron(kesar)-6 strands
milk(1/2 cup)


Method -
Marinate the chicken for atleast 1.5 hours with the following-
salt,green chillies slit (3-4),haldi powder,curd,ginger garlic paste.


In a kadhai add 1 tpsn oil and 1 tbspn ghee.
Cut the medium sized onion lengthwise(vertical). Fry it in the oil till it turns brown.
Keep it aside once done.
Now add 2 tbspn oil to the pan.
Add the big onion finely chopped to this.Then add ginger garlic paste and salt.
Now add the tomato finely chopped and then coriander powder(1 tpsn) and cumin powder (1 tpsn).Close the lid and let this cook.
Open the lid of the pan and see that the mixture is well cooked.Now add the marinated chicken to this and close it again for around 10 min.
To make the biryani masala - make a fine powder of 4 cardamoms,3 cloves,4-5 pepper corns,2 sticks cinnamon.
Add the biryani masala to the chicken and again close and cook for another 10 min.


For the rice preparation - Mix 1.5 cups of basmati rice and water.To this add whole cardomoms,cinnamon,pepper corns,bay leaf,cloves.Also add salt to taste and oil(1 tspn).Now boil this rice till it is half done-(take 1 rice grain and touch, it should be soft)
Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
Dip the saffron strands in luke warm milk.
Now add the rice to the above chicken layer.
Add  ghee,few fried onions and some saffron(soaked in milk).
Again add the remaining rice layer and ghee,fried onions and saffron(soaked).
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.